In the next few weeks we are going to have the chance to experience the next iterations of the most popular FPS games out there. Call of Duty: Vanguard will be out November 5th. Meanwhile, Battlefield 2042 had recently announced they were delaying the game from October 22nd to November 19th. When it comes to these two franchises, I’ve been with Call of Duty a lot longer than Battlefield. Yet with these two games coming out, I may have to do something I’ve never done before.
Thoughts on the Franchise: Call of Duty
I’ve been a COD player ever since the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and World at War. Since then I have bought every single game in the franchise, for better or worse. However, lately I feel that the quality of games have gone down. With the exception of Modern Warfare (2019) and Black Ops 3, my play hours have plummeted as of late.
There was something off whenever I was playing Black Ops Cold War. The multiplayer maps were unimaginative, and going back to older style weapons took a huge toll compared to the awesomeness of the Modern Warfare weapon systems. I never put a single minute into the zombies mode, a sure sign of fatigue. Looking back at the other games of the franchise, I realized that I only enjoyed about half the games since Modern Warfare in 2007. Games like Infinite Warfare, and WW2 really leave a bad taste in my mouth. So far, Vanguard is having the same effect on me.
Thoughts on Call of Duty Vanguard
Leading up to the reveal there were rumors of the series going back in time to WW2. I was hoping this was wrong but alas, here we are again. The developers of this game have taken a “creative liberty” with the game that I feel was a very bad move. From what has been released so far, there are things in the game that are not historically accurate and the devs are sticking to it. This makes me wonder who they’re trying to attract to buy this game or did they just run out of new ideas? The campaign and a steep price cut may be the only things that will get me to buy this game, a first for a franchise I have stuck with through thick and thin.
Call of Duty: A Change in the Process
I know there are multiple studios working on these games within the franchise and I think this is having a negative affect. These studios are pumping out a game a year. This works out to be a single studio having less than 3 years before releasing their next game in the cycle. I would love to see this process changed.
Warzone showed that, when done right, a single game can carry players for well after the release of the original game. Imagine, Cold War could have been released as a pure single player game and any multiplayer maps it offered could have been DLC. DLC already has a negative connotation to it, yet this method still gives players a choice of trying out a new campaign and having more MP maps.
Thoughts on the Franchise: Battlefield
My first experience with the Battlefield franchise started with one of the more recent entries, Battlefield 1. This game really hooked me in with the wildly different gameplay that the series is known for. The class system in Battlefield provided a team first feel compared to the run and gun flow of Call of Duty. This was true too with Battlefield 5, a game that I have recently gotten back in to playing. I know I haven’t been with the series long but I am excited for the next installment in the franchise.
Additionally, I think Battlefield has really benefited from longer development cycles which allows games to be a bit more carefully crafted. However, there was a glimpse of Battlefield trying to play catch up when they released a battle royale of their own called Firestorm. That game mode was just average and didn’t add anything to the franchise. With the next game on the horizon, we’re seeing them stick to their guns a bit more. Yet there is a mysterious game mode that has yet to be revealed.
Thoughts on Battlefield 2042
The next installment for Battlefield will take players to the not so far future. This future is very dystopian and takes place in a world caught between two superpowers. However it is not so advanced that it crosses from fiction to science fiction. Most weapons, vehicles and even operators still look very similar to those of the real world. This setting definitely gets me excited as I had never played Battlefield 4, the most recent game with a modern setting.
In terms of gameplay, Battlefield had announced the largest player count in any multiplayer game to date. This far exceeds the top player count in Warzone but it does come with a caveat. Only next gen systems will get to experience the larger lobbies. As far as other elements are concerned, the multiplayer gameplay looks as chaotic as ever. On top of that, there will be naturally occurring destructive forces, such as large tornadoes and blinding sandstorms to watch out for when heading into battle.
FPS head to head: who will win?
It’s no secret that Call of Duty has a very large player base which will carry the sales to the top. As for myself, I have stated that I’ve been with COD for a lot longer but I think this year will be the first time I won’t get the latest game when it launches. With everything that I’ve seen so far, I’ve noticed myself despising the game more and more. Should the game ever drop below a certain sales price, I’ll definitely consider getting it.
On the other hand, Battlefield 2042 is a welcome change that I will be willing to buy at full price. However, the game may become available through Game Pass after launch which will be the best case scenario since I am a subscriber. Either way, I am looking forward to seeing more from the game before its release.